ALWAYS LET THE BED COOL

I'm sure you're all familiar with aphorisms such as these, containing the accumulated wisdom of our species:

     Buy low, sell high.

     You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

     The early bird gets the worm.

These sayings have become hackneyed with overuse, so today I am going to give you some fresh material in the form of words of wisdom I have collected or coined over the course of my seven decades on Earth.

I hope that you will share some of yours in the comments.

Always let the bed cool.  (Elizabeth Purdie)

Some of you were probably taught to turn around and make your beds as soon as you arise.  Not me.  My Aunt Ella imparted these words of wisdom to me sometime during my growing up years:  "Always let the bed cool before you make it."  Brilliant.  I can let my body heat dissipate while I go off and do something more interesting.

So, brush your teeth and take a shower before making your bed.  And if you forget to come back and make it, just quote Aunt Ella.

Pour high.  (May Hayes)

When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time at the home of my best friend Bona.  Her mother was a great one for imparting nuggets of wisdom.  One day, when I was pouring something from a wide-mouthed container into a narrow-mouthed jar, and managing to spill much of what I was pouring, Mrs. Hayes stopped me and gently said, "pour high."  So, I did.  And, lo and behold, the liquid stream became narrower and poured neatly into the container.

I think of Mrs. Hayes' words every time I fill the narrow opening in my bird feeder from the wide mouth of the container where I keep birdseed.  (Apparently, it doesn't have to be a liquid.) Here's the science.

A change is as good as a rest.  (James Speirs)

My father had boundless energy (sadly not inherited by me).  He could sit down, close his eyes, fall immediately asleep--then get up 10 or 15 minutes later, refreshed and ready to take on the next task.

But, he didn't always nap when he needed a breather.  Sometimes he would just switch to another activity, while repeating his favorite phrase:  "A change is as good as a rest."  These words don't always work for me, but they have sometimes come through in a pinch.  A couple of decades ago, when I was going through a really bad time, I took a bike ride with a friend.  After we were finished, I started toward home where I fully intended to take a nap.  (I was sleeping a lot during this crisis.)  Then, thinking of my father's words, it occurred to me that I had slept plenty the night before, and I went for a swim instead.  This was the beginning of my turnaround.

A bath is as good as a nap.  (me)

This is my rejoinder to my father's saying.

If I am tired on the late afternoon of a day when I have somewhere to be after dinner, and have run out of time to take a nap, I opt for a bath. Fifteen minutes of soaking both relaxes and refreshes.

So, a change or a bath -- your choice.  One of these two just might do the trick for you.

If you want to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.  (May Hayes)

Yep.  Mrs. Hayes again.  I have not been able to kill a spider since I first heard her recite the above words.  So, no, I don't smoosh that spider on the bathroom wall, or bedroom ceiling.  Instead, I drag over a chair, climb up on it, and carefully capture the spider under a drinking glass, sliding a piece of paper between wall and glass to keep the spider confined.  Then I open the front door, often in my sleepwear, and release the critter.

My garden thanks both me and Mrs. Hayes.  The spiders, however, do not seem to appreciate my thoughtfulness -- every year I sustain a spider bite or two or three while peacefully asleep . . .


Your children won't remember whether your house was tidy, but they will remember whether you played with them.  (unknown)

I read this one somewhere.  I hope it is true.  (This is not an excuse to live in a pigsty, but I think you get the drift.)  

Always carry a book.  (my husband) 

Bill keeps a book in the car, a book at his side of the bed (a stack actually), a book in his coat pocket, a book (another stack) on the coffee table -- you get the picture.  He is prepared for every idle moment.

Beats staring at your phone.

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.  (children's song)

Yes, it is possible to be happy and not know it, so pay attention.  I have written about this before, so I won't belabor the point.  


Until we meet again, may you pour high and never find yourself without a book.  (And please do share your words of wisdom in the comments.)



Image by Martin Castro on Unsplash